Your Ultimate Fat-Blasting Water Workout

If the phrase water aerobics calls to mind images of "mommy and me" classes or grannies gently bobbing up and down, we've got news for you: This revolutionary water workout routine just came to a pool near you. It combines high-intensity cardio exercises and plyometric power moves with jiggle-proofing resistance bands.

That may sound intimidatingly Olympian, but it's not. On the contrary, it's surprisingly easy—and fun. "The buoyancy of water lessens the pull of gravity, making you feel lighter and making balance simple, while also reducing impact on your knees," says personal trainer and Prevention contributing editor Chris Freytag, who created this routine. "This makes the same moves that would be difficult to do on land feel easier in the pool." The payoff is powerful: This workout blasts calories, tones trouble spots, and boosts muscle strength—in less than 30 minutes.

We tested our Hydro Belly-Blaster routine on a group of real women wearing heart-rate monitors. On average, the women burned 318 calories in 28 minutes. Katie Kerrigan, 35, torched a whopping 363 calories. "I just had my third baby, and lifting weights in my living room feels too hard," Kerrigan says. "I really enjoyed this routine. I felt like I could move my body much easier in the water, and it kept me cool." Do this workout 5 times a week and cut your daily diet by 250 calories, and you'll be 8 pounds slimmer by the end of summer.

Between each Hydro Belly-Blaster circuit, do 1 minute each of your Fat-Zapping Cardio Moves.

Cool down with 2 minutes of full-body stretching.

Total workout time: 28 minutes

CIRCUIT 1
HYDRO BELLY BLASTER

1. Tick-Tock With Upright Row
Targets: Legs, shoulders, upper back, abs
Stand on band with both feet, right handle in left hand and left handle in right hand (a). Lift right leg out to side, pulling handles toward shoulders (b). Return to start, and repeat with opposite leg. Continue alternating legs for 1 minute to complete 1 set.

3 Ways To Boost Your Calorie Burn1. Contract Your CoreBefore beginning each move, tighten your abs to keep your balance in the water. Maintain this contraction throughout the exercise, but breathe normally.2. Watch Your FormMove quickly to amp up heart rate-the more reps you do in each set, the more calories you'll burn—but don't go so fast that you lose control of the movement.3. Trim With TunesBlasting fast-paced pool grooves from your iPod will motivate you to push harder. Keep your iPod safe with water-proof speakers, such as the Eco Extreme Rugged All Terrain Speaker Case ($35, amazon.com).

TONE-UP TOOLS FOR THE POOL
Take your water workout further with this get-wet gear

Polar FT4
($100, polarusa.com)
This water-resistant watch lets you time yourself in the pool while tracking heart rate and calorie burn.